Education Week - January 12, 2022 - 13

cial to boosting leadership diversity, Parks said. So
are clearing hurdles that keep them from applying
for leadership roles and additional training.
Teachers aren't always thinking about leadership
positions until they are specifically asked or steered
in that direction.
That's how Diamond Cotton, the principal of Kimberley
Park Elementary School in Winston-Salem/
Forsyth County Schools, made the leap from the
classroom to the principal's office.
About three years into teaching, Cotton's principal
inquired whether she'd ever considered school
leadership and suggested that Cotton give it some
thought.
Even though she'd wanted to be a teacher since
she was a child, Cotton had not contemplated moving
beyond the classroom. After seeing Cotton's
potential-and that of some of her colleagues-the
principal ensured that they had leadership roles in
the school, including opportunities to mentor colleagues
and improve their instructional leadership
skills.
After completing graduate school and filling in for
a colleague in a school leadership role, Cotton knew
her future was in the principalship.
She worked as an AP and a principal for several
years. And about a year and a half ago, seeing Cotton's
successes with students with disabilities and
English-language learners, the then-superintendent
offered Cotton the chance to restart Kimberley Park,
where all of the students qualify for federal free and
reduced-price meals.
Four of Cotton's colleagues from her first school
are also principals in the district-and it all goes back
to their principal spotting their talent, giving them
the nudge, and supporting them.
Develop and support assistant principals
of color
Many leaders of color do not make it past the assistant
principal role, which George, from the Tennessee
Educators of Color Alliance, noted is often
" a career-killer. "
Districts should ensure that APs of color are
matched with mentors and have access to professional
development to develop the wide range of
skills and knowledge they need to be successful
principals.
Alexander, the area superintendent in WinstonSalem/Forsyth
County who runs the assistant principal
program, said the district has been strategic
about steering teacher-leaders of color into AP roles
and providing experiences to bolster their chances
of success. Monthly meetings include a focus on curriculum,
instruction, data, and equity, she said.
If leaders of color have access to the same experiences
and professional development as their peers,
including on instruction, budgeting, equity, and
culturally responsive teaching, they'll have an equal
shot at open positions, she said.
" We have to make sure that all of our APs have
that same level of development, " Alexander said.
Mónica Bruce, a Latina assistant principal who is
part of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County assistant
principal program, recently participated in an
intense year-long course on culturally responsive
leadership at a local university through its partnership
with the district.
Bruce, who was born in El Salvador and started
her professional career in marketing before moving
to education, is part of a district association for
assistant principals, which has developed workshops
and other opportunities for the district's assistant
principals. The group also meets with senior
district leadership and passes on concerns, needs,
and other feedback.
" We're always in the loop, " she said. " We're always
provided opportunities. Personally, I've been
very fortunate to be a part of these opportunities. "
Create alliances with higher education
institutions that can help
Historically Black colleges and universities are
" untapped resources " for districts, said Jean Desravines,
the executive director of New Leaders, a New
York City-based preparation program for aspiring
school leaders where 60 percent of the graduates
are people of color.
But districts must be intentional about forming
partnerships with these higher education institutions
for their efforts to be successful.
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County and Jefferson
County districts both plan to use a portion of
an estimated $8.2 million in grants they're each receiving
from the Wallace Foundation to work with
HBCUs in their regions.
Districts can also work with the local universities
to refine recruitment and selection processes for
candidates and ensure that their and the universities'
goals around expectations for school leaders
are aligned.
Create a targeted recruitment strategy
Staff diversity won't happen by chance. Districts
must have clear hiring strategies, including where
and how they are recruiting candidates.
Parks, the director of recruitment in WinstonSalem/Forsyth
County, has started advertising jobs
and promoting the district, in general, in Language
Magazine, a monthly used heavily by bilingual educators,
and on local websites serving the Hispanic
community.
Parks also established a bilingual recruitment
roundtable, with Hispanic educators across the
school system, to hear their ideas on how to reach
Hispanic educators and draw them to the district. It
was from that roundtable and from Hispanic educators
that Parks learned about Ana G. Mendez University.
" We
have to be creative about who we know
who've already been in schools, who already have
these experiences, who can bring that talent over to
us, " Parks said.
In Louisville, the district created a diversity hiring
specialist position housed in the district's Diversity,
Equity, and Poverty Programs Division, not in its
human resources office. The specialist plays a critical
advisory role in the selection process for principals
and other senior district leaders, and works with
the district's university partners.
Being more deliberate and having clear hiring
practices " means that we are able to consider more
people and consider more individuals of color, " said
Aimee Green-Webb, the district's chief of human
resources.
Build on your internal network
for recruitment
Parks, who is Black, leans heavily on the expertise
of Latino employees-not just teachers-to ensure
that she is reaching the right people and looking for
candidates in the right places.
They helped Parks organize a national recruitment
event, where teacher-candidates dropped in
virtually to learn about the district from Parks, Latino
teachers, and other Latino employees.
" A lot of it has been about mobilizing our current
Latino-identifying employees, " Parks said. " It's
"
We have to be
creative about
who we know
who've already
been in schools ...
who can bring
that talent over
to us.
SHATERIKA J. PARKS
Director of recruitment,
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County
(N.C.) Schools
something that interests them. They want to bring
more Latinos to the community. They want to work
in a place that reflects the community they serve. "
The district is also looking to partner with local
agencies to help smooth the transition and settlement
for new recruits, including helping them find
housing and reliable transportation.
Listen to the needs and concerns
of your employees of color
There's a lot that district leaders don't understand
about the experiences of educators of color,
and that can only come from listening to employees
and following up with concrete steps, George said.
" We haven't done the qualitative research to talk
to them about what the pain points are, the issues,
the struggles, " he said.
In Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, Superintendent
Tricia McManus meets monthly with assistant
principals. Those meetings are instrumental in setting
the course for the development APs receive,
McManus said.
And monthly meetings with the area superintendent
begins with requests for feedback on what's
working and what's not working.
Districts such as Boston Public Schools and
Winston-Salem/Forsyth also have created affinity
groups to encourage a sense of belonging and
provide mentoring and professional development
opportunities for school leaders of color.
Don't make the job harder
It's already tough for school leaders of color to
be the first or among the few leaders of color in the
district. There's often the weight of feeling like they
are representing an entire community.
" It's a huge responsibility, " said Bruce, who also
stressed that one of the reasons she got into education
was to be a role model.
Pupo-Walker remembers having to take time
away from teaching or preparing for class to go to
the principal's office to translate for parents and
students.
Districts can also think carefully about how they
assign school leaders of color to schools and district
networks.
Black school leaders are often appointed to the
most challenging schools, without the necessary
support to help them succeed, George said. They
should be positioned to lead anywhere-not just in
the areas that are hardest to staff, he said.
" A lot of the time you have to earn your keep, "
George said. " It burns you out. "
When Cotton in Winston-Salem/Forsyth
moved to Kimberley Park Elementary, the superintendent
gave Cotton flexibility to hire
staff and create academic support programs. Teachers
were trained on trauma-informed and restorative
practices and Cotton developed a cadre of
master classroom teachers to help their peers. All
of these programs were backed by the district's
leadership.
" It's important that leaders understand where we
are, have the resources to be able to motivate us,
but not only that, listen to us and be supportive of
the things we're trying to do in our schools, " said
Cotton.
Coverage of strategies for advancing the opportunities for
students most at need, including those from low-income
families and communities is supported by a grant from
the Walton Family Foundation, at www.waltonk12.org.
Education Week retains sole editorial control over the
content of this coverage.
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Education Week - January 12, 2022

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